Zen and the Art of Surrender

Abstract

"The man who would be a warrior considers it essential to keep in mind the spirit of battle 24 hours a day. Our country is different from others, for here, even the lowliest merchant, farmer, or artisan is attentive enough to carry with him a rusty old sword. This is the custom of the people of the warrior nation of Japan, and is the Way of the gods, unchanged for then thousand generations." - Daidoji Yuzan, Budoshoshinshu - The Code of The Warrior, 17th century. "...if you are slain in battle, you should be resolved to have your corpse facing the enemy." - Tsunetomo Yamamoto, Hagakure - The Book of the Samurai, early 18th century. The legacy of Japan's aristocratic, warrior culture, bather in the rigors and hardships of eras past, yields unique insight toward the actions taken by Japan in its darkest hour. The quotes of these authors and others like them serve to inspire a new, modern generation of combatants, unwaveringly resolute in the performance of their duties. On the eve of August 8th, 1945, the nation said to have been born from the sun goddess Amaterasu was forced to confront its decidedly human and undeniably vulnerable nature. The mythology of Japan and its divine heritage became integral in the nation's spiritual and practical resurrection, the upheaval of centuries old tradition that accompanied the Meiji Restoration. This aristocratic revolution of sorts came to pass with the re-conception of Japan as a new and powerful international actor. There was a novel, special importances bestowed upon the imperial household, and a mutation of the Japanese citizen. Men and women who born into the life of being a mere wayward laborer were transformed into one of the Emperor's prized children. The factors and changes that comprised the Meiji Restoration are critical to understanding the disaster at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Indeed Japan's defeat cannot be understood lest the discerning scholar or reader critically examine the very fabric of Japanese society.